There are lots of free events in Toronto today, including a screening of Hairspray at the Harbourfront, a huge concert and dance show at Yonge-Dundas Square and the Aboriginal Day celebrations at Fort York. 

The best calzone in Toronto are the ultimate giant pizza pockets stuffed with melty, gooey mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and other optional fillings, then baked or fried, these make for the perfect portable Italian eat.

Here is where to find the best calzone in Toronto.

The future of 401 Richmond, the arts and cultural hub inside an old factory building on Richmond at Spadina, is in jeopardy thanks to its climbing tax bill.

That's why an online petition is gaining steam to help save the building before it's priced out. It's accrued 3,050 supporters and continues to pick up steam.

"For a building like 401 Richmond, its tax bill reflects not its reality as a four-storey retrofitted factory, but its potential as, say, a 20-plus-storey condo tower," wrote Murray Whyte in Toronto Star, back in December. 

Save 401 Richmond! If you've ever loved me, please sign this https://t.co/bQgRWZp3wBpic.twitter.com/giT5e1WLNx

— Damien Nelson (@5onthe5) June 21, 2017

This is based on the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's assessment, which looks at a property's value based on its highest and best use, he explains.

"In 2012, UrbanSpace, the building’s owner, paid close to $447,000 in property taxes, with its rate increasing steadily to that point at 1 per cent per year," says the petition.

A post shared by Jimmy Ji (@jjimmyji) on Jun 5, 2017 at 9:09am PDT

"Then in 2013, it jumped to $520,280. By 2016, the bill was within a few hundred dollars of $700,000. Without some kind of intervention, the building’s 2017 tax bill will be $846,210.73." It could go up to $1.29 million by 2020.

While UrbanSpace has absorbed the brunt of these increases, tenants are starting to feel the heat too. 

Representatives at the municipal and provincial levels are working on a solution, but as the Star reported earlier this week, time is running out.

A post shared by 401 Richmond (@401richmond) on Jun 6, 2017 at 8:31am PDT

Since launching on Monday, the Change.org petition has garnered nearly 3,000 signatures, and counting.

Tenants at 401 Richmond include artists, designers, galleries (including Abbozzo, Red Head and Open Studio), stores (Spacing Store, Swipe) cafes (Dark Horse, The Roastery) and various non-profit arts and community-minded organizations. 

The most Instagrammed restaurants in Toronto obviously include the original Sweet Jesus on John Street. Instagram Canada looked at geo tags to compile its list of popular local joints. If you haven't added these spots to your feed yet, you should probably get started, but only if they fit your curated aesthetic, that is.

Along with sharing the most geo-tagged restaurants in Toronto, Instagram Canada also revealed the 10 most Instagrammed landmarks in Canada - six of them are in Toronto. Unsurprisingly, they are the CN Tower, Nathan Phillips Square, Ripley's Aquarium, the ROM, the AGO and Casa Loma.

But if you're still thinking about food, here are the most Instagrammed restaurants in Canada, according to Instagram.

A post shared by Mac Reynolds (@macreynolds) on Jun 18, 2017 at 4:16pm PDT

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Not only does Momofuku serve beautiful dishes in an equally beautiful space, but it also features a stainless steel sculpture by Shanghai-based artist Zhang Huan right outside its front door.

A post shared by Enrique Cochegrus (@enriquecochegrus) on Jun 20, 2017 at 9:20pm PDT

Sweet Jesus 

Sweet Jesus helped normalize the practice of standing in line to Instagram an over-the-top ice cream cone.

A post shared by Nicole Lovell (@mslovell_) on Jun 13, 2017 at 2:15pm PDT

El Catrin 

The entire Distillery District is super photogenic, but this Mexican spot takes the cake thanks to its Studio Munge-designed dining room and two-storey mural by Óscar Flores. 

A post shared by CHELSEA AMBER (@marrrinaisonfire) on Jun 15, 2017 at 9:11am PDT

Bang Bang Ice Cream & Bakery

This ice cream parlour is famous for its ice cream sandwiches as well as its long lineups, which usually stretch down Ossington on warm (as well as not so warm) days. 

A post shared by madi not mattie (@madi_kennedy) on Jun 18, 2017 at 5:13pm PDT

Fring's 

This restaurant's associated with Drake and it has a cool-looking neon sign, so of course it's popular on Insta.

A post shared by #loserwithafork (@loserwithafork) on Jun 6, 2017 at 10:34am PDT

Gusto 101 

Pizza, pasta and kale salad are welcome additions to most Insta feeds.

Today in over-the-top, Instagrammable Toronto food trends, we bring you the phoritto, in which the warm, aromatic flavours of pho come all wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla.

The Sushitto On the Road food truck introduced its pho burrito yesterday and apparently, it took the owners a year to come up with the perfect recipe for their newest menu item.

A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Jun 21, 2017 at 8:12am PDT

Sushitto, of course, was one of the first purveyors of sushi burritos in Toronto.

The phoritto will set you back $10, but it's super filling and comes cut in half, so this is a curbside meal you could definitely share.

It comes stuffed with beef, rice noodles, bean sprouts, peppers, onions, jalapenos, cilantro and beef bone sauce (like a thickened broth) and despite being somewhat of a novelty item, it's actually pretty delicious.

A post shared by Mia Lee (@miamjlee) on Jun 20, 2017 at 3:05pm PDT

Sushitto is parked at King and Simcoe today, but you can track its whereabouts if it happens to drive away. Sushitto's restaurant Rollipub also serves pho burritos.

This food mash-up first became popular south of the border a few years ago, and it actually took quite a while for it to finally land here. 

There's few more obvious ways to track the growth of a city than by charting the transformation of its skyline.

Perhaps this is especially the case with a city like Toronto, where developments have seemed to come in major stages, whether this be the rise of the Royal York Hotel in the late 1920s, the Toronto Dominion Centre in the late 60s, or the addition of the CN Tower in the mid-70s.

The photos below speak mostly for themselves in this capacity. Toronto now boasts one of the most impressive skylines in the world, but if you go back to the outset of the 1960s, there's nary a modern building in sight. We are a thoroughly contemporary city in this capacity. 

Behold, the transformation of the Toronto skyline from 1880 to today.

Late 1880s

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1914

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1919

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1920s

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1930s

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1940

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1957

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1964

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1967

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

1974

Photo by mdintenfass.

1981

Photo Mike Dunham-Wilkie.

1990

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

2001

Photo by Phillip Dines.

2007

Photo by josche.

2010

Photo by steve colwill.

2016

Photo by Nicoli OZ Mathews.

With an LCBO strike looming, some Toronto stores will be offering extended hours so you can stock up on booze if workers walk off the job before the Canada Day weekend.

According to a news release, select stores will stay open from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. from Thursday, June 22 to Saturday, June 24. On Sunday, June 25, some stores will open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To my Ontario friends: Do not forget to load up for Canada Day! #LCBO

To my Ottawa friends: None of this really matters! #SAQpic.twitter.com/211vsqiwh2

— Ryan M. Burke (@ItsRyanBurke) June 21, 2017

"Additionally, select downtown Toronto stores will open from as early as 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. in support of the City of Toronto’s Pride activities," reads the release. 

All locations will be closed on Saturday, July 1 and Monday, July 3 for Canada, but if employees aren't on strike on Sunday, July 2, 450 stores across the province will open as early as 9 a.m. to as late as 11 p.m., in honour of Canada's 150th anniversary. 

LCBO workers will be in a legal strike position after midnight on Monday night. One of the main issues on the table is pay equity between full and part-time employees. 

Toronto's real estate market might be starting to cool down. Signs, such a decline in sales and an influx of new listings point to a market that's not quite as red hot as it was a year ago.

While prices haven't actually dropped just yet, Bloomberg reports that the rate of increase has dropped significantly this month, which could mark the beginnings of a more lasting trend.

Bloomberg cites Toronto Real Estate Board data that says in the first two weeks of June, local home sales continued to drop. And, compared to June 2016, prices went up only 6.7 percent for all home types (as opposed to 17 percent last year).

There was a 22 percent increase in listings as more home owners looked to sell off properties. 

Should the trend continue, the Toronto market could see home prices decline for the first time in what seems like ages. Do bear in mind, however, that other data sets are not so gloomy.

You don't see an apartment like this one on the rental market everyday. This surprisingly nice houseboat at Bluffer's Park Marina is now available for lease after being listed for sale back in April for over $1 million. 

What's so interesting about the prospect of renting a place like this for a year — which is the minimum lease specified — is that you get the unique experience of living on a boat without having to commit long term. 

It'll still be a stretch for most people out there, but I bet there are a few intrepid folks who find the idea of marina life alluring. Not only that, this is actually a really nice place that comes with many of its furnishings thanks to its unique setup.

There are drawbacks, of course. Water levels have been a huge issue this year in Toronto, and life on the lake comes with at least some risk of displacement. Then there are the winter months, which might be beautiful, but will surely rob the place of some of its charm.

Still, many of the reasons why you might want to avoid buying a houseboat are taken off the table when it comes to renting. If you find you don't like the experience, you can always leave when the lease is up.

Specs

• Address: 7 Brimley Rd. South
• Apartment type: Houseboat 
• Rent: $3,300
• Utilities: Included
• Air conditioning? Yes
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2 (one is listed as "half bath")
• Parking: Marina
• Laundry? In suite
• Outdoor space? Lakeside dock and patio
• Pet friendly? Yes

Good For

A couple with a sense of adventure. This place ain't cheap, so not many people will want to pony up the $3,300 solo. Plus, given the large size, you could even get a small family in here for a year.

Move On If

Do I even have to say it? If you're not a fan of the water or you're prone to bouts of seasickness, this will not be the rental for you.

It's that time of year again. We're opening the poll to 10 new best of categories including breakfast sandwiches, Indian restaurants, ice cream, sushi burritos, vegeterian restaurants and more. Voting ends on Thursday June 22 at 11:59 p.m.

Take the poll here

Toronto used to be a tavern town. Scattered around the city, these mostly humble and gritty spots were where we used to unwind over Labatt 50, long before it become semi-ironically cool to do so.

In the 1970s and '80s, bars didn't need to have a hook or a playful concept to attract a crowd. Beer and live music would do the trick.

The history of the Toronto bar is far shorter than you might think. The Silver Rail was the first cocktail bar in Toronto, and it didn't open until 1947. Located at Yonge and Shuter, it brought upscale booze to the city. At the time an Old Fashioned cost 65 cents. Advertisements touted the "scientific" preparation of drinks.

Silver Rail Tavern, Toronto's first cocktail bar. 

Following closely behind the Silver Rail was the Horseshoe Tavern. Since the legendary Queen West bar opened its doors, hundreds of live music venues have come and gone in Toronto, most of which have been long forgotten even as a few are thought of with fierce nostalgia.

Places like Larry's Hideway, the Gasworks, Ports of Call, the Big Bop, the Brunswick House still animate our collective memory in a way that's hard to explain. Perhaps these places remain so distinct because they exists as bastions of youth.

Your first pint, your first live show... a vague feeling of what it was like to have no real responsibility.

The St. Charles Tavern, a foundational space for Toronto's queer community.

Other bars like the St. Charles Tavern were profoundly important as safe places for Toronto's queer scene. A city needs places like these, unofficially sanctioned hubs of culture where people can congregate and feel a sense of community under dim lights and semi-flat beer.

So let's toast our lost bars and taverns, and the time when places didn't have to be cool to be cool.

Behold, Toronto's lost taverns and bars.

Silver Rail menu, ca. 1950.

Holiday Tavern (pre-Big Bop), Queen and Bathurst streets.

Club One Two, 14 Adelaide St. East.

Bermuda Tavern, 379 Yonge St.

Friar Tavern (now the Hard Rock Cafe), near Yonge and Dundas.

Embassy Tavern, Bloor and Bellair.

Colonial Tavern, near Yonge and Queen.

Letros Tavern, 50 King St. East.

Royal Oak Tavern, Dundas St. West and Quebec Ave.

Silver Crown Tavern, 25 Richmond St. West.

Spadina Hotel, King  St. West and Spadina Ave.

Ports of Call, Yonge St. and Shaftsbury Ave. Photo courtesy of Bryan Reingold.

Larry's Hideaway, 121 Carlton St.

Pretzel Bell Tavern, Adelaide and Simcoe streets.

The Gasworks (photo by Dan McLaughlin), 585 Yonge St.

Brunswick House, Bloor St. West and Brunswick Ave.

Hard Rock Cafe, 2015, 229 Yonge St.

Toronto's real estate market might be cooling down, but you'd never know it by looking at these properties that are currently on the market. These condos are all opulent in their own way and come with luxe amenities that'll make you feel like you're living in a hotel (in some cases, you would be).

Here are the 6 swankiest condos on sale in Toronto right now.

50 Yorkville Ave. ($36,000,000)

The most expensive condo in Toronto is still available for sale if you have $30+ million. It sits atop the Four Seasons and naturally, it's palatial. It even features an in-suite sauna with a skyline view.

118 Yorkville Ave. ($15,000,000)

What does $15 million get you in Toronto? A 6,300 square foot unit that looks like it's straight out of Downton Abbey thanks to its over-the-top finishes and grand-looking design.

50 Yorkville Ave. ($13,900,000)

This sub-penthouse unit in the Four Seasons is super modern-looking with lots of bright colours. It's also been on the market for a while and has dropped its price by $1 million since last year!

175 Cumberland St. ($11,750,000)

This corner suite is spread over 5,240 square feet and includes an 800 square foot, south-facing balcony, meaning you can always take selfies with the CN Tower.

180 University Ave. ($9,332,500)

Live your life perched at the top of the Shangri-La hotel in this two-storey penthouse unit that boasts stunning views of the city from its terrace in the sky.

468 Wellington St. West ($6,700,000)

This looks like the ultimate live-work space in the former Butterick Publishing House. At 6,000 square feet, there's plenty of room for activities.

The TTC is quietly on the cusp of a major milestone. In the coming weeks, every single subway station will offer free WiFi.

It's been a long time coming, but BAI Canada has been steadily working away at the project since the service was introduced at Bloor and St. George stations in late 2013. 

Right now, all but one station has been outfitted with WiFi technology that passengers can use for free. The odd station out is York Mills, but installation work is already underway there, and it's expected to join the other 68 stations shortly.

BAI has also made progress on the installation of cellular technology throughout the system, which is available in the tunnels between Wellesley and King as well some 39 station platforms. The catch is that you have to be a Freedom Mobile user to take advantage of the service.

In this year's customer charter, the TTC promised to complete the installation of WiFi in every station by the fourth quarter, so this looks like a benchmark that'll be delivered at least a bit ahead of the official schedule.  

Today in Toronto, Pride parties and events really kick off. If you're not ready for the weekend just yet, there are a few more calm things happening, like a free movie on the city's east side, but even that has a drag show opener. 

Toronto restaurant openings highlights the latest restaurant openings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

Open now

• Panino Cowboy is making Italian-style sandwiches inside the Queen Live Fresh Food Market at 238 Queen St. W.
• Hooked now has four locations in the city, having just opened another shop at 1246 Danforth Ave. in what was formerly The Fuzz Box.
• Jerk Paradise  is serving up jerk chicken, mac & cheese and fried chicken & waffles in Cabbagetown at 296 Gerrard St. E.
• Lit Espresso Bar has opened a new location at 2196 Bloor St. W. (at Runnymede) in Bloor West Village.
• The Goodman Pub & Kitchen, part of the FAB Restaurant Concepts group, is now open at 207 Queens Quay West at Harbourfront.
• Korean spot Jin Dal Lae has opened up at 647 Bloor St. W. in Koreatown.

Recently reviewed

• Yin Ji Chang Fen
• Lake Wilcox Brewing
• Golden Patty
• Conspiracy Pizza
• 3 Speed
• George Street Diner
• Village Pie

Opening soon

• Mulberry Bar opens tomorrow at 828 Bloor St. W. by Christie Pits in what was previously Mexitaco.
• Joining The Goodman Pub & Kitchen at the same address on Queens Quay will be a chicken joint called Joe Bird with The Fix Ice Cream Bar inside it, as well as a pizzeria and cocktail spot called Pie Bar.
• Maker Pizza is hoping to open a second location, this time at Avenue & Lawrence, by this September.
• Small-batch, bean-to-bar Soul Chocolate is opening its first brick-and-mortar shop at 583 Gerrard St. E. (at Broadview) this fall.
• Something called Seoul Shakers will be taking over the former Holy Oak space at 1241 Bloor St. W.
• Gou Bu Li, which makes steamed stuffed buns, originated in Tianjin, China and already has a location in Richmond Hill, but now it's opening another outpost in Chinatown at 270 Spadina Ave.
• Oh My Gyro is taking over the shuttered Osmow's at 155 John St. just north of Queen.

Other news

• Owner/chef Craig Wong says Patois should be reopening in about two weeks, and this time they'll be expanding to include the second floor at their space on Dundas West.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to editors@blogto.com

Toronto's tallest intersection will soon be Yonge and Bloor thanks to two new condos towers that'll collectively exceed 150 storeys. But along with these huge residences, they'll be retailers at street level.

Today, Retail Insider revealed another one of the commercial tenants that'll be moving into the 257 metre One Bloor East, along with Nordstrom Rack, the luxury retailer's discount offshoot.

According to the site, One Bloor will get a two-storey, 18,000-square-foot Mark McEwan grocery store. It's slated to open at the end of 2018.

McEwan in the PATH. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Toronto's already home to two McEwan supermarkets; one's at the Shops of Don Mills and the other's in the PATH. 

One Bloor, from developer Great Gulf, is nearly complete, which makes it easier to imagine what this major intersection will feel like when it's surrounded by skyscrapers. 

A post shared by Lemontea (@lemonteaeats) on Jun 14, 2017 at 12:08pm PDT

Across the street, The One, from Mizrahi Developments, at 1 Bloor St. W., is still in the pre-construction phase. But when its complete, the condo that'll replace Stollerys, will be 84 storeys, or 304 metres high.

Street closures are commonplace occurrences in the summertime thanks to the myriad festivals and construction that happens all over Toronto.

The most exciting such road closures, however, happen during Open Streets, the annual event that turns over major streets to pedestrians and cyclists. 

This year, the event will run on August 20 and September 17 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. of both days. It'll shut down Bloor, between Christie and Sherbourne, and Yonge, from Bloor all the way down to Queen.

A post shared by OpenStreetsTO (@openstreetsto) on Aug 21, 2016 at 11:41am PDT

Unlike other street festivals, there won't be vendors along the route, instead, Open Streets encourages everyone to get out and get active. There will, however, be activity hubs with free programming and performances for people of all ages.

In 2016, on Open Streets second day, Bloor was shut down all the way from Dufferin to Hampton, east of the DVP. As of now, it doesn't look like that'll be the case this year. 

Sears Canada might have disappeared from downtown Toronto a few years ago, but now the department store's set to shut down 59 locations across the country as it re-structures.

As CBC News writes, Sears was granted creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act from the Ontario Superior Court today. According to PwC (for those of us who need a refresher) this "allows financially troubled corporations the opportunity to restructure their affairs."

Accordingly, the ailing Sears Canada will close 20 full stores, 15 home stores, 10 outlets and 14 so-called hometown locations. It'll also let go of 2,900 employees.

Only one Toronto location will be affected, and it's the Sears Home store in Scarborough. 

The list of Sears stores closing.

Sears Canada has been trying to change up its image and woo shoppers into its department stores by launching a discount designer line called The Cut as well as an in-house line. 

In Toronto's it's also operating a retail pop-up at 322 1/2 Queen St. W. right now.

Weekend events in Toronto will be a challenge to navigate because there are so many big things going on, but that's what we're here for! It's Pride weekend with all of its parades, parties and events, and there's also NXNE and the final stretch of Luminato.

The hottest new restaurants in Toronto right now are offering a diverse array of cuisines from around the globe, from Moroccan to Thai, Italian to Mediterranean, European to Vietnamese.

Here are my picks for the hottest restaurants in Toronto right now.

La Palma

This venture from the Campagnolo team has taken daytime on Dundas West by storm. The open kitchen and nighttime Italian fare and cocktails will be familiar to fans of the old spot down the street, but here you can indulge in pastries, coffee, and breakfast if you just can’t wait for evening.

Kiin

From Thai restaurateurs Nuit and Jeff Regular comes this sophisticated restaurant on Adelaide West serving Thai dishes that combine royal influences and memories from Nuit’s childhood. A rainbow of Thai colours and flavours present themselves in mixed rice salad and intricate dumplings.

Atlas

This French Moroccan place sprung up on the end of Dupont, thanks to the folks behind upscale Chabrol. Serving twists on dishes like beet salad with Moroccan flavours like preserved lemon, they also do whole tagines of goat or whitefish and have an extensive wine and sherry list.

Estia

Greece, Southern Italy and Spain all collide at this Yorkville restaurant with an enormous chandelier, the highest ceilings and a charming patio. Whole roasted catches of the day are the star here, though fresh pastas, breads, and house meats and cheeses also stun.

Pinky's Ca Phe

This Little Italy spot may be somewhat hidden, but that’s part of what puts it on the cutting edge. Serving cheeky bar food with heavy-hitting Asian flavour, order from a menu of marrow beef, ceviche, banh mi, or go for their killer grill platter.

Tennessee Tavern

This Eastern European bar in Parkdale that was once The Sister has succumbed to the Grant van Gameren empire. Serving a substantial menu of European classics like pierogis, cevapi, and smoked fish, they also have an extensive beer, wine and spirits list.

Drake Commissary

The Drake empire expands further as well with this new jack-of-all-trades joint on industrial Sterling near popular Henderson brewery and where the new MoCA will be. Bakery items, drinks and snacks are served, and all kinds of Drake products can be purchased here.

Awai

You won’t find any meat at this unique restaurant by the same folks behind the similarly unconventional Atlantic. Deeply flavourful mushroom soups, flatbread pizzas, and pastas make eating meat-free pleasurable.

AF1 Caribbean Canteen

From the man behind some of Toronto’s favourite fried chicken, Adrian Forte, comes a new operation close to his roots. Lethally spicy but tender and mouthwatering jerk chicken, pepper shrimp, and mac n’ cheese made with coconut milk are all washed down with rum punch in this casual but definitely hot new spot where reggae is always blasting.

Khao San Road

Kiin actually went into the space where Khao San Road used to be, but this Thai favourite has now taken up residence on Charlotte Street and appear to be there to stay with crowds still clamouring for their pad thai, curry, khao yum and pad see ew.